Glass tube coil assemblies and heating baths



Oct. 9, 1962 .1. ISREELI GLASS TUBE COIL. ASSEMBLIES AND HEATING BATHS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 11, 1958 ekvl r.

INVENTOR. Jae/1. [sree/z' ATTORNEYS Oct. '9, 1962 J. ISREELI 3,057,603

GLASS TUBE COIL ASSEMBLIES AND HEATING BATHS Filed March 11, 1958 FIG. 2

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. (Ike/ [Iver/1' BY flu-QM b MQL ATTORN EYS 3,057,603 GLASS TUBECOIL ASSEMBLIES AND HEATING BATHS Jack Isreeli, Tuckahoe, N.Y., assignorto Technicon Instruments Corporation, Chauncey, N.Y., a corporation ofNew York Filed Mar. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 720,734

4 Claims. (El. 257-199) The present invention relates to heating bathsfor heating various fluids, in analysis and other processes.

One object of the invention is to provide means to protest a coil ofglass tubing of a heating bath or other apparatus against breakageduring shipment and handling.

Another object is to provide an improved support for a coil of glasstubing for a heating bath or other devices.

A further object is the provision of improved means for stirring theheating liquid in which the fluid-heating coil is immersed whereby toprovide a substantially uniform temperature of the heating liquid in thedifferent parts of the bath.

A yet further object is generally to provide a heating bath of improvedconstruction and operation.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be more fully understood from the following descriptionconsidered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplatedfor carrying out the invention:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a heating bath according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the coil assembly;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the glass coil assembly in condition forshipping, with parts shown in section for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the glass coil assembly mounted onto theheating bath cover;

FIG. 6 is a section along line 66 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is a section along line 77 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown in FIGURE 1 aheating bath assembly It) pursuant to the present invention, saidassembly comprises a jacketed receptacle 12 having an outer casing 14 inspaced relation to an inner casing 16 and being provided with insulationin the space therebetween, for example, asbestos 18 which covers theouter surfaces of inner casing 16 and glass wool 20 disposed between theasbestos and the outer casing 14. A gasket 22 is provided between thetop flanges 24 and 26 of inner and outer casing 16 and 14, respectively,and eyelets 28 secure the inner and the outer casing in spaced relation,with gasket 22 therebetween at the upper parts thereof. 7

A glass coil 30 is disposed within receptacle 12 and for that purpose ismounted in a coil holder assembly 32, the latter being supported by thereceptacle cover 34, as will hereinafter be described in greater detail.Referring more particularly to FIGURE 3, coil 30 comprises a cylinder ofglass tubing closely and helically formed into a plurality ofconvolutions. Uppermost convolution 36 terminates in an upwardlyextending inlet portion 38 and lowermost convolution 40 terminates inupwardly eX- tending outlet portion 42. The coil holder assembly 32comprises a bottom plate 44 and a top plate 46, aid plates beingmaintained in parallel spaced relation by means of symmetricallydisposed hollow spacer posts 48, positioned in registry withcorresponding aligned openings 50 and 52, in top plate 46 and bottomplate 44, respectively. A bolt 54 having an enlarged head 56 disposed atthe outer side of top plate 46, extends through each spacer post 48 andthe associated plate openings, and projects beyond bot- 3,057,603Patented Oct. 9, 1962 tom plate 44. A wing nut 58 is threaded onto theprojecting part of each bolt and is tightened to secure said plates insaid parallel spaced relation.

Top plate 46 and bottom plate 44 are provided with large centralapertures 60 and 62, respectively. A pair of bushings 64 are pressfitted and staked into symmetrically disposed openings 66 at oppositesides, respectively, of aperture 60 in top plate 46, and said top plateis also provided with a pair of mounting holes 68 at opposite sides ofeach opening 66. A tapered stopper 70 is inserted in each bushing 64 andheld in fluid tight relation therewith, each of said stoppers having athrough central opening 72 to accommodate the inlet and outlet portions,respectively, of glass coil 30 in fluid-tight relation therewith.

When mounting the glass coil 30 in the coil holder assembly 32, thebottom plate 44 is removed from the coil holder by removing wing nuts58. Thereafter the glass coil is inserted into the assembly, beingguided therein by spacer posts 48 which slidingly engage the innerdiameter of the coil, inlet and outlet portions 38 and 42 are passedthrough the corresponding stopper apertures 72 a suflicient distance sothat after bottom plate is reassembled onto the coil assembly, lowermostconvolution 40 of the glass coil lightly touches said bottom plate.Using a small point flame, the glass coil is heated gradually and evenlyat the bends A and B to remove the stresses in the coil, after which thelatter is allowed to cool.

In accordance with one of the above stated objects of this invention,provision is made to protect glass coil 30 against breakage duringshipment and handling. For this purpose, the coil is coated with aprotective layer C of a suitable rigid material which is substantiallyinflexible and holds the convolutions of the coil in fixed relation sothat the coil thus encased in this material is, in effect, a cylinder inwhich the glass convolutions are held against relative movement andvibration of the convolutions is prevented. The protective layer C iscomposed of a sub stance which is soluble in water or other liquid L ofthe heating bath in which the coil is immersed, so that the layer C isautomatically removed when the coil is disposed in said liquid in theassembly of the heating bath at the place to which it is shipped. Inthis connection it will be understood that the heating coil assemblyillustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, is packed as a separate unit for shipmentpurposes, and that various other parts of the bath are also shipped indisassembled condition in convenient units which can be readilyassembled together with the coil 30 to form the complete heating bath.

The protective layer C in which the coil is embedded is preferably apolyalkylene glycol,

HOCH (CH OCH CH OH it is available on the market as carbowax 6000. Ithas an average molecular weight of 6000-7500 and is solid at normaltemperatures. As previously indicated it dissolves readily in water. Italso dissolves readily in diethylene glycol which is the preferredheating liquid L for the heating bath. For coating the coil 30 thecarbowax is heated until it is barely liquid and the coil is dippedtherein several times up to the stoppers 70, in order to completelyencase the coil and its convolutions in a hollow cylinder of thematerial, as illustrated by FIGS. 3 to 5. The glass coil assembly isdipped into the carbowax up to the bottom of the stoppers as often asnecessary until the glass coil is encased and connected to the spacerposts with the solidified carbowax C, the latter also encasing theupwardly extending inlet and outlet portions 38 and 42, respectively, upto the stoppers 70. By so treating the coil assembly, the glass coil isheld rigidly and without stress in position, whereby it can withstandeven very rough handling and can thus be shipped without incurring therisk of breakage.

Receptacle cover 34 is provided with a pair of openings 74 adapted tosnugly receive bushings 64 of the glass coil assembly, and the latter issecured to the receptacle cover by means of screws 76 which pass throughmounting holes '68 in coil assembly top plate 46 and are threaded intoholes 69 in the bottom surface of said receptacle cover, as best shownin FIGURE 6. As best shown in FIGURES 1 and 5, receptacle cover 34 isprovided with mounting holes 78 in registry with eyelets 28 onreceptacle 12 for securing the cover onto the receptacle by any suitablemeans, such as screws 80 and nuts 82. A groove 84 is provided on theunderside of receptacle cover 34 and is adapted to receive a gasket 86whereby a fluid tight seal is obtained between the cover and receptaclewhen the latter are secured together in the manner described above.Receptacle cover 34 is also provided with an opening 88 in which thereis mounted a stopper 90, in fluid tight relation, which carries athermostat 92 for controlling the temperature of the heated bath in thereceptacle. A bushing 94 carrying an electric heater 96 in fluid tightrelation is mounted onto cover 34 in an opening 98 provided therefor.

A sleeve 100 is accommodated in an opening 102 therefor in cover 34,said sleeve having disposed therein a a rotatable stirrer shaft 104carrying at the lower end thereof propeller 106 for agitating the heatedbath. With reference to FIGURE 7, it will be noted that in accordancewith this invention stirrer shaft 104 is mounted eccentrically inreceptacle 14. As a result of the eccentric position of stirrer 106, theheating liquid is more effectively stirred in the receptacle 12 duringthe heating thereof by heater 96, whereby the temperature of said liquidis substantially uniform throughout the body of liquid in thereceptacle.

Shaft 104 extends downwardly in the receptaclethrou-gh apertures 60 and62 of the glass coil assembly 32 and the blades are disposed in saidreceptacle below bottom plate 44. A motor M for turning the stirrer ismounted above the heating bath assembly.

It will be understood that in assembling the heating bath aftershipment, the coil assembly unit 32 is secured to the receptacle cover34 and that after the receptacle 12 is filled with the heating liquid Lto the desired level, said cover is secured to the receptacle and theother parts are mounted on the cover to complete the assembly. When theliquid is heated by heater 96 to the desired temperature, the carbowaxwill readily dissolve in the bath and the heating bath assembly will beready for its normal operation. During said normal operation, thestirrer is operative to agitate the bath so as to provide a uniformtemperature distribution therein, and thermostat 92 is operative tocontrol the heater so as to maintain the desired temperature in saidbath.

While the heating bath of the present invention is of general utility asa heating bath, it has been especially effective in continuous analysisor processing systems and apparatus of the character described in US.Patent No. 2,797,149. It will be understood that the coil may be used ina cooling bath if so desired, and in such case may constitute afluid-cooling element. Also, it is apparent that the means forprotecting a frangible element such as a'coil of glass tubing isapplicable generally to such coils whether used for heat exchangepurposes in a heating or cooling bath or for other purposes. It will beunderstood further that the protective material C may be removed by asolvent liquid other than the liquid employed in the heating bath.

As various changes may be made and will occur to skilled artisans, inview of the present disclosure, I do not wish to be limited to thespecific construction herein shown or described except as may berequired by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A heating bath assembly comprising, a receptacle for a liquid bath, acover for said receptacle securable thereto in fluid tight relationtherewith, coil holder means carried by said cover and comprising a pairof plates in parallel spaced relation and a plurality of spacer postsextending between said plates, transversely thereof, and holding saidplates in said relation, a coil of glass tubing mounted between saidplates and having one end thereof in engagement with one of said platesand having the convolutions thereof adjacent said spacer posts, theother of said plates having apertures therein and said coil beingprovided with inlet and outlet parts extending through said apertures,said coil having convolutions which are normally relatively movable, anda solidified substance securing said convolutions to each other in fixedrelation and to said spacer posts for preventing breakage of said coilduring the handling and shipping thereof, said coil being immersed insaid liquid bath when said cover is secured to said receptacle, saidsolidified substance being of a type which is dissolvable in said liquidbath when the latter is heated to its operating temperature.

2. A heating bath assembly comprising, a receptacle for a liquid bath, acover for said receptacle securable thereto in fluid tight relationtherewith, coil holder means carried by said cover and comprising a pairof horizontal upper and lower plates in parallel spaced relation andaplurality of vertical spacer posts extending between said plates,transversely thereof, and holding said plates in said relation, a coilof glass tubing mounted between said plates and having one end thereofin engagement with said lower plate, said upper plate having aperturesand said coil being provided with inlet and outlet parts which extendupwardly through said apertures, said coil having convolutions which arenormally relatively movable, and a solidified substance securing saidconvolutions to each other in fixed relation and to said spacer postsfor preventing breakage of said coil during the handling and shippingthereof, said coil being immersed in said liquid bath when said cover issecured to said receptacle, said solidified substance being of a typewhich is dissolvable in said liquid bath when the latter is heated toits operating temperature.

3. A heating bath assembly comprising, a receptacle for a liquid bath, acover for said receptacle securable thereto in fluid tight relationtherewith, coil holder means carried by said cover and comprising a pairof plates in parallel spaced confronting relation, a coil of glasstubing mounted between said plates and having one end thereof inengagement with one of said plates, the other of said plates havingapertures and said coil being provided with inlet and outlet parts whichextend through said apertures, said coil having convolutions which arenormally relatively movable, and a solidified substance securing saidconvolutions to each other in fixed relation and to said spacer postsfor preventing breakage of said coil during the handling and shippingthereof, said coil being immersed in said liquid bath when said cover issecured to said receptacle, said solidified substance being of a typewhich is dissolvable in said liquid bath when the latter is heated toits operating temperature and being a normally solid polyalkylene glycoland said liquid bath being diethylene glycol.

4. A. bath assembly comprising, a receptacle for a liquid bath, a coverfor said receptacle securable thereto in fluid tight relation therewith,coil holder means carried by said cover and comprising a pair of platesin parallel spaced relation and a plurality of spacer posts extendingbetween said plates, transversely thereof, and holding said plates insaid relation, a coil of glass tubing mounted between said plates andhaving one end thereof in engagement with one of said plates and havingthe convolutions thereof adjacent said spacer posts, said coil havingconvolutions which are normally relatively movable, the other of saidplates having apertures and said coil being provided with inlet andoutlet parts which extend through said apertures, a solidified andsubstantially inflexible substance securing said convolutions to eachother in fixed relation and to said spacer posts to prevent relativemovement of said convolutions and thereby prevent breakage of said coilduring the handling and shipping thereof, said coil being immersed insaid liquid bath when said cover is secured to said receptacle, saidsolidified substance being of a type which is dissolvable in said liquidbath.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re.24,767 Simon et a1. Ian. 19, 1960 6 Whitlock et a1 Jan. 1, Plony Nov. 4,Alsop May 31, Von Den Steinen Oct. 11, Goecke June 22, Beall et a1. Jan.31, Muros Apr. 22, Eggert Dec. 21, Smith June 6, Brock Aug. 12, PinelesMay 11, Schwoegler Oct. 28, Goodwillie et al Feb. 25, Tovrog et a1. May20, Smithers Nov. 18,

